1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the stringing of rackets employed in various sports and particularly to facilitating the restringing of tennis rackets or the like. More specifically, this invention is directed to prefabricated string assemblies and especially to a preformed knit of longitudinal and transverse strings which may be quickly and easily installed in a racket frame. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prefabricated string assemblies which define a knit comprised of individual transverse and longitudinal strings are known in the art. An example of such a previously known prefabricated string assembly may be seen from German Patent Publication No. 88 13 991. In the prior prefabricated string assemblies, a stringing pattern was fixed by means of an aligning device which retained the crossed transverse and longitudinal strings in predetermined positions relative to one another. In order to restring a tennis racket or the like, such a prefabricated knit in theory needs merely to be placed in the racket head and the free end of the strings fastened in the appropriate holes provided therefore in the racket frame.
A stringing operation employing a prefabricated string assembly is, when compared to the technique of weaving in a plurality of individual string strands, a relatively simple procedure. However, the use of individual free strings does have the advantage of allowing the technician to select different stringing profiles. Further, prefabricated knits with a fixed stringing pattern have, in practice, not proven to be sufficiently adaptable to permit the fitting thereof to the characteristics of various racket heads, and particularly to accommodate variations in the arrangement of string receiving holes as found in different frames. Furthermore, the packages for prior prefabricated racket string assemblies have necessarily been generally commensurate in size with the head of the racket type for which the assemblies were intended and the packages have thus been characterized by volumetric inefficiency. The above-discussed and other deficiencies have tended to discourage the use of prefabricated racket string assemblies.